Mattress and method for making same.



w. MATHEWSON. MATTRESS AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION nyzo 00119 1913. 4 I

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

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amino STATES PATENT QFFICE.

WILFRED B. MATHEWSON, o BosToN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN'OR To ROCKWELL & MATHEWSON, me, or BOSTON. MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MAINE.

MATTRESS AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed October 29', 1913. Serial N 0. 798,126.

sachusetts, have invented an Improvementin Mattresses and Methods for Making- Same, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to mattresses, and particularly to the so-called side-stitching which is inserted in mattresses for the purpose of holding the edges thereof in proper position, and the object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of sidestitching and a novel method of making said side-stitching by which the edge of the mattress will /be correctly held in its desired shape even though one or more of the side stitches become broken or severed.

The form of side-stitching which is most commonly used in mattresses is one in which a length of cord, string or thread is extended through the edge of the mattress into and around a portion of the filling and thence through to the exterior of the tick ing and thence into and around another portion of the filling and back through to the exterior of the ticking and so on. .While 'this form of side-Stitching will properly hold the edge of the mattress in its correct shape so long as the stitching is intact, yet if anyone of the stitches breaks there is nothing to hold the broken portion of the cord string or thread except the friction thereof with the material of the mattress. This friction is not Sufiici'ent to prevent the stitches which are adjacent to the broken stitch from becoming slack bv the cord being drawn through the material of the ticking, and when the stitches do thus become slack the edge of the mattress will lose its shape at such point, in fact, if the thread or cord becomes broken at" any point then it will gradually be drawn through the material of the mattress as the latter is used until the stitches for a considerable length either side of the broken stitch have acquired suflicient slackness so that the edge of the mattress will give way and lose its correct shape. My invention is designed to overcome this disadvantage by providing a novel form of side-stitching in which each stitch will be securely held in its proper position even though the adjacent stitch becomes broken, so that with a mattress enibodylng my invention it would be possible for a large number of stitches to break before the edge of the mattress will give way or be forced out of shape. I accomplish this object by providing the cord from which the stitches are made with projections or enlarged portions which prevent the cord from being drawn through the filling material, and in the preferred embodiment of my invention these enlarged portions are located within the ticking though such an arrangement is not essential.

In order that my invention may be properly understood I have illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the drawings one embodiment thereof and the various steps by which my improved side-stitching may be performed, but I desire to state that the invention is not I limited to the constructional features shown as I believe that I am the first to provide a side-stitching for mattresses wherein the cord or thread from which the stitching is made is provided with projections or enlargements which prevent it from being drawn through the material or the fabric.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one corner of a mattress. having my improved side stitching therein. 2 is a sectional view illustrating the position of the stitches. Figs. 3 to 9 inclusive illustrate the stepsin the process of making my improved stitching. Figs. 10 and 11 show a knot by which the ends of the separate lengths: may be tied together.

I have shown at 1 a portion of a mattress which is provided with the usual cover or ticking 2 and with a filling 3 of some suitable material such as hair, felt, cotton or other fibrous material.

In the making of a mattress it is cus tom-'v ary to side-stitch the edge thereof so as to maintain the square formation of the edge and this side-stitching consists of a length of twine, thread or cord (which will be hereinafter referred to as the thread) which is inserted into the mattress from the side faceof the edge and passes around some of the filling 3 and thence passes through the ticking to the exterior thereof and thence back through the ticking and around another portion of the filling 3 and thence through to the exterior of the ticking and llO back into the latter again and around another portion of the filling 3. Such sidestitching is usually formed from a single thread having the arrangement above deient to refer to each portion 4 of the thread as one of the stitches and I will, therefore, use the term stitch as indicating the portion of the thread between the two adjacent points where it appears on the exterior of the side face 7 of the fabric, it being understood that I use this term stitch merely for descriptive purposes and not in the way of limiting the claims or descrip tion. l

While a side-stitching having this construction will hold the side face 7 of the mattress in its proper shape so long as the thread remains 'intactyet it will readily be seen that if any one of the so-called stitches of the thread breaks, the broken ends will be drawn into the mattress thus giving slack to all the adjacent stitches, in which case -the side face 7 of the mattress will lose its support and will bulge out in an undesirable way.

In my invention I avoid this difficulty by" providing a side-stitchingin which some at least of the stitches have projections or enlargements therein which prevent the stitches from being drawn through the filling 3 of the mattress. I

In the preferred embodimentof my invention I will make each stitch with such a projection or enlargement and I will preferably form such enlargement by means of knots that are tied the thread as the stitches are formed, although this particular way of securing said enlargements is not essential. \Vherethe'enlargements are thus formed by making knots, each, or as many as are desired, of the stitches will have a knot therein and this knot will preferably be located inside of theticking 2 and within the mass of filling '3. In the illustrated embodiment of my invention these enlargements in the thread of the stitches are shown at 8 and they are illustrated as in the form of knots.

Referring to F i'gs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the various stitches each have a knot 8 therein located inside of the side face of the ticking 2 andwithin the. body of the filling 3, said knots offering so much resistance to the drawing of the thread through the filling 3 that even if any stitch breaks, the

broken end of the thread cannot be drawn or give slack to the adjacent stitches.

In Figs. 3 to 9 I have illustrated a method by which the side-stitching with the knots therein located within the ticking can be made. In making this side-stitching I will preferably use a tubular needle 9 having a pointed end 10. provided with an eye or opening 11 through which is delivered the end of the threads 2? that passes down through the center of the needle.

In forming the side-stitching in'accordance with the method herein illustrated,

separate lengths of thread, each one sufficient to form a single stitch, are inserted successively into the mattress with the ends thereof projecting beyond the side face 7 of the mattress and the body thereof embracing a portion of the filling 3 and the ends of the separate lengths are then tied or knotted together and the knots drawn in through the side face of the ticking into the position shown in Figs. 1 [and 2. .A simple and convenient way of thus inserting these separate lengths of thread and knotting them together A is herein illustrated. The needle 9 is first inserted into the mattress from the top face 12 thereof in an in- .clined position as shown in Fig. 3 so that the needle will emerge from the side face 7 at the point 13. This operation carries the end of the thread t through the mattress and to the exterior of the side face 7 thereof. The thread is then held in position while the needle is partially withdrawn corner of the mattress so as to emerge from v the side face 7 at the point 15 as seen in Fig. 5, said operation carrying the thread 1- out through the side face 7 of the mattress and forming in the mattress a length 4 of thread which embraces a portion of the filling 3. The thread t is then severed where it projects through the side face of the mattress at 15 and the needle is then withdrawn entirely and is again inserted into the top of the mattress at the point 16 at a distance from the point 17 of its first insertion and in a direction substantially parallel to the first insertion as shown in Fig. 6. The needle thus inserted emerges from the side face 7 of the mattress at a two ends 19 and 20 of the thread are then.

knotted together on the exterior of the mattress to form a knot 8' as shown in Fig. 7 and the needle 9 is withdrawn or partially withdrawn as shown in full lines Fig. 8 and during this operation the knot 8 is drawn in through the side face 7 of the ticking at the point 18 and after this is done the needle 9 is then turned into the dotted line position Fig. 8 and then inserted diagonally through the corner of the mattress as shown in Fig. 9,thus forming a second stitch, said needle emerging from the face 7 of the mattress at the point 22. The thread is then severed and the needle is withdrawn preparatory to starting a third stitch and during this operation the end of the thread which proj'ects through the face of the mattress at the point 22 is prevented from being withdrawn by means of grippers 14 or any other suitable mechanism. These various operations are repeated until theside-stitching is completed. v

In most mattresses it is customary to employ two rows of stitches, one near each side of the mattress and the drawings illustrate a mattress having this double roW of side-stitching. 1

Any suitable knot may be formed in the stitching and this knot may be made either by hand or by machinery without departing from the invention. In the drawings I have illustrated diagrammatically a knot-form ing device which comprises the grippers 14 and a pair of tying jaws 23, but I desire to state that neither the particular form of knot nor the mechanism by which the knot is tied are important to the invention.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I have shown a knot which can be easily tied and which answers the requirements of the invention. In this knot the end 19 of tne thread 2% is formed into a loop 2+ and the other end 20 is formed into a loop 25 which completely encircles the loop 24: and is then inserted through the loop 24 beneath said-loop 25. Fig. 10 shows this knot during the processof formation and before it is drawn tight and Fig. 11 shows the knot drawn tight. Any other type of knot may be used without departing from my invention.

From the above it will be seen that in my improved mattress the thread forming the side-stitching is formed with enlarged portions (herein shown in the form of knots) which may be located within the ticking and which prevent the thread from being drawn through the filling 3. Vith my improvements therefore, the breaking of any particular stitch will not affect the shape of the mattress for the loose ends cannot be drawn through the filling 3, and therefore the stitches adjacent to the broken stitch will not acquire any slack which will allow the side face 7 of the mattress to bulge out at the point where the stitches are broken.

In some mattresses the side-stitiching is made in such a way as to, produce what is called the roll edge, this being done by through and. appear on the face 12 of the mattress.

My invention can be applied to a mattress of this type as Well as to the form of sidestitching shown in the drawings for the roll edge could be produced by simply withdrawing the needle entirely'from the face 12 when the position illustrated in full lines Fig. 4 has been reached and then making the thrust shown in Fig. 5 by inserting the needle through the face 12 at one side of the point 17.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A mattress having side stitching, the stitches of which extend from the side face of the mattress around some of the filling and back tothe side face and which are formed of thread having enlarged portions situated on the interior of the ticking which by their frictional engagement with the filling prevent the thread from being drawn through the filling in case the thread becomes broken at any point. a

2. In a mattress, the combination with a ticking and filling therein, of side stitching, the stitches of which extend from the side face of the mattress around .some of .the filling and back to the side face, some at least of I the stitches being formed with knots situated within the ticking of the mattress which knots provide frictional en g'agement with the filling to hold the thread in place in case it accidentally becomes broken.

3. In a mattress, the combination with a ticking and a filling therein, of side-stitching comprising separate lengths of thread each extending from a point inside the ticking around some of the'filling through to the exterior of the ticking and back through the latter, the ends of adjacent lengths of thread being knotted together within the ticking. 4. In a mattress, the combination with a ticking and a filling, of side-stitching formed from a thread which passes alternately through the ticking and around some of the filling and has knots formed therein and situated within thebody of the filling;

5. The process of side-stitching a mattress which consists in introducing separate lengths of thread into the edge of a mattress with the ends thereof projecting beyond the exterior of the side face of the mattress, tying the ends of adjacent lengths of cord together and drawing the knots thus formed through the ticking into the interior thereof. G. The steps in side-stitching mattresses which consist of inserting a length of thread into the mattress with one end extending beyond the exterior of the mattress, inserting a second length of thread into the mattress with one end thereof projecting beyond the side face of the mattress adjacent said second length around a portion of the filling and back through the side face of the ticking and then repeating these operations.

7. A mattress having side-stitching formed of a continuous length of thread which is provided with a plurality of enlarged portions that prevent the thread from being drawn through the filling. j

8. The process of side stitching a mattress which consists in introducing separate lengths of thread into the edge of a mattress with the ends of each length projecting beyond the exterior of the side face of the mattress andthe intermediate portion of each length passing around a portion of the filling without passing through the ticking and tying the ends of adjacent lengths of cord together.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

W. B. MATHEWSON. Witnesses:

LOUIS C. SMITH, THOIIIAS J. DRUMMOND. 

